Authorities in the Chiúta district in Tete province have warned residents not to use water from the Mavudzi River, which might be contaminated with sulphur.

A truck carrying sulphur crashed on the bridge over the Mavudzi River on Sunday and spilled the highly toxic product into the water.

Chiúta District Permanent Secretary Manuel Cebola reports that the banks of the river were strewn with dead fish after the accident.

“We had to tell people living near the river not to eat the fish. There are two teams involved, one, from Health, heading towards the river, and another mobilising community leaders to tell people not to consume the fish, because that river flows all the way into the Zambezi,” he said.

Laboratory results clarifying the situation will be known today (Wednesday).